ClickUp
A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.
A work platform that deliberately covers everything: tasks in a deep hierarchy, many view types, plus docs, forms, goals, whiteboards and time tracking under one subscription.
Build me the narrow version: the hierarchy and two views, done well, for one agency. STACK - Astro with a Node adapter, SQLite, server-rendered HIERARCHY - Space, list, task, subtask — three levels, not five, and the README says why - A task belongs to exactly one list; a tag can cross lists STATUSES - Defined per space, ordered, each marked as open, active or closed - Changing a status set never rewrites history: map old to new and record the mapping VIEWS - Board grouped by status, and a table with sortable columns - Saved views with filters, stored per user, shareable by URL TIME TRACKING - Start and stop against a task, stored as append-only intervals - A running timer per user, and refusing a second one rather than silently stopping the first - Weekly report per person and per list CLIENT ACCESS - A signed read-only link to one list, showing tasks and progress but no internal comments - No account for the client, and the link is revocable AUTOMATION - One rule type: when a task moves to a closed status, stop its running timer and set a completed date Include a README on the status mapping, the timer rules, and CSV export per list.
What you lose
- A hierarchy deep enough for an agency: workspace, space, folder, list, task, subtask
- Dozens of view types over the same data, each configurable per user
- Automations, forms, docs, whiteboards and time tracking bundled into one seat price
- Guest access for clients without paying for a full seat
- The breadth itself — replacing it means replacing five tools, not one
If you would rather not build
- Teamwork — paid, agency-focused with client access built in
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Plane
$0Issues, cycles and roadmaps in a similar shape, self-hosted.
makeplane/planefree · open source
Focalboard
$0Project boards in kanban, table and calendar views; runs standalone.
mattermost-community/focalboardfree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
43/100
Verdict kinda at 43: the hierarchy, the views and honest time tracking are a weekend, and the client link is the part worth stealing. What you cannot rebuild in a weekend is the breadth — the seat price covers five products, and matching it is five projects.
History
tracked since 9 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about ClickUp
answered from the record above
Is ClickUp free?
No — the plan we track is $10 a month. Unlimited at $10 per user per month billed monthly, $7 annually; Business is $19 monthly and adds automations and time tracking.
Can you replace ClickUp by building your own?
ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 43 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does ClickUp cost?
$10 a month on Unlimited — $120 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing ClickUp?
A hierarchy deep enough for an agency: workspace, space, folder, list, task, subtask; Dozens of view types over the same data, each configurable per user; Automations, forms, docs, whiteboards and time tracking bundled into one seat price; Guest access for clients without paying for a full seat; The breadth itself — replacing it means replacing five tools, not one. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to ClickUp?
Yes: Plane, Focalboard. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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